Arthur stepped outside the academy gates, the afternoon sun casting long shadows across the stone pathways. He had just completed his common classes but had chosen not to attend any specialized courses for now.
Instead, he made his usual stop at the orphanage, checking on the children, speaking briefly with Butler Hudson, and making sure everything was running smoothly. After spending some time there, Arthur left the city, heading straight for the dense forests beyond Brightwater.
Today, he was finally going to test the golem's combat capabilities.
…
After reaching the forest Arthur activated his 'Map', scanning the forest for signs of monsters. Over the past month, while he trained his spells, he had encountered various creatures. But none of them had posed any real challenge, as Arthur hadn't gone that deeper into the forest.
As he soared over the tree line in his armor, he spotted several monsters below.
Goblins scurrying around, too weak to be of any use, wolves hunting in packs, giant serpents coiling around trees, orcs. He even saw some trolls roaming the forest.
The trolls were large, muscular beasts known for their absurd regeneration and brute strength. The biggest one he found was about 3.5 meters (12 feet) tall, much smaller than the golem, but strong enough to provide a proper test.
Arthur hovered above the area, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Alright, this should work."
With a mental command, he summoned the golem from the Spear of Heaven.
In an instant the massive 10-meter-tall (32.8 feet) golem appeared before him, its violet eyes glowing faintly. The ground trembled slightly as the golem's heavy frame settled into place.
Arthur had tried to use 'Analyze' on the golem, but all he got was what it was made of. He thought maybe it was not a living being that is why it was not showing its strength and skills. 'Analyze' works by scanning a target and he can see people's attributes because the system can scan the biosignature of a target, also other scans necessary to come to a conclusion about their attributes. But in the case of the golem it was not possible.
Arthur crossed his arms. "Alright, big guy. I've got a problem."
The golem tilted its head, listening.
Arthur sighed. "I need you to fight something closer to your size, but I can't find a big enough opponent in this forest."
The golem stood still for a moment, then suddenly began shrinking. Its entire frame compressed, its crystal-like body shifting and reforming, until it stood at 3 meters, its original height.
Arthur stared at it for a long moment before exhaling sharply. "…You could do that this whole time?"
The golem thumped its chest proudly, as if it had just solved a great mystery.
Arthur rubbed his temples. "I just wasted half an hour looking for something big enough to fight you, and you're telling me you can change your size whenever you want?"
The golem gave a low growl, almost as if it was laughing.
Arthur shook his head. "Alright, let's just get this over with."
…
Arthur led the golem toward a lone troll roaming near a shallow riverbed.
The creature stood hunched, its long arms dragging slightly across the dirt. Its pale green skin was thick like leather, and its yellowed fangs dripped with saliva.
Arthur used 'Analyze' on it.
It was a young C-Rank Troll. But it had an ability called High Regeneration and had strength higher than most C rank martial artists. Though it appeared that it wasn't very intelligent.
Arthur glanced at the golem. "Alright, that's your first opponent."
The golem stepped forward, its heavy footfalls shaking the ground.
The troll snapped its head up, sniffing the air before its bloodshot eyes locked onto the golem. A deep, guttural growl rumbled from its chest.
ROOOAAARRR!
The troll charged.
Its massive hands clenched into fists the size of boulders, and in a split second, it lunged toward the golem, swinging wildly.
The golem didn't flinch.
It stepped forward and punched straight through the troll's attack, landing a devastating blow to the troll's gut.
Bang!
The force sent the troll flying backward, its body crashing through trees and skidding across the dirt.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "…That was fast."
The troll rolled onto its stomach, coughing up black blood. It clutched its abdomen, but its wounds were already beginning to close at an unnatural speed.
But instead of fighting back, it turned and ran.
Arthur blinked. "…Wow. That was pathetic."
The golem tilted its head, confused, then turned back toward Arthur.
Arthur sighed. "Well, that didn't last long. Guess we need something stronger."
…
After slowly flying around for a while, Arthur found another troll, this one significantly larger and bulkier than the last.
Arthur used 'Analyze' again.
This one was a fully grown B-Rank Troll. It not only has the skill [High Regeneration], but it also has another skill called [Heavy Strike].
Arthur gestured toward the troll. "Alright, big guy. Let's try this again."
The golem stepped forward, its violet eyes glowing slightly as it prepared for battle.
The troll didn't hesitate. It charged instantly, its long arms swinging wildly as it closed the distance.
Thoom!
The golem met the troll's charge head-on.
The two collided like titans, the impact shaking the ground.
The golem threw the first punch, its fist slamming into the troll's chest. The troll barely budged, and in retaliation, it grabbed the golem's arm and twisted, trying to throw it off balance.
Arthur's eyes narrowed. 'This one's actually putting up a fight.'
The golem dug its feet into the ground, resisting the troll's strength. Then, for the first time, mana surged through its body.
A violet aura enveloped its fists, and with a sudden burst of force…
BOOM!
It sent the troll hurtling backward, smashing into a thick tree trunk.
The troll coughed, then its wounds immediately began to heal.
Arthur watched closely. 'Even though the golem is physically stronger, it can't finish the fight quickly because of the troll's regeneration.'
The troll roared in fury and lunged again, this time swinging its massive claws. The golem raised its arms, summoning a mana barrier just in time to block the attack.
Arthur's eyes brightened slightly. 'So it really can use mana instinctively.'
The troll attacked again and again, but each blow was absorbed by the mana shield. The golem waited, then the moment the troll overexerted itself, it dropped the barrier and struck.
Crack!
The troll's jaw snapped violently to the side, and it staggered backward, dazed.
The golem didn't hesitate.
It dashed forward, gathering mana in its fists and delivering a brutal finishing punch to the troll's stomach.
BOOM!
The impact sent the troll skidding across the ground, rolling several times before it finally stopped moving.
It lay there for a few seconds, its chest rising and falling rapidly. Then, realizing it was outmatched, it snarled and fled into the forest.
Arthur crossed his arms, watching as the troll disappeared. Arthur understood something, physically the golem was even stronger than him.
But more importantly, he had confirmed that the golem could use mana in two ways for now.
One to reinforce its body, and enhance its strength by utilizing mana. And to create a protective mana barrier.
Arthur smiled and nodded. "Not bad, big guy."
The golem thumped its chest proudly, its violet eyes flashing.
Arthur nodded. "Let's head back. I think we're finished here."
Hearing Arthur the golem groaned as if it did not want to go inside the Spear of Heaven and wanted to explore the forest more.
Arthur sighed, "Alright, alright…you can explore the forest, but take this with you." He took out a small circular device which attached itself to its body to track its location and inform Arthur if the golem faced any threat.
After that the golem went to explore the forest and Arthur continued his training.
…
"Alright, big guy," Arthur said, glancing at his companion. "Time to head back inside."
The golem gave a low grumbling sound, clearly reluctant to end its brief exploration of the forest. It had just gotten a taste of freedom after being confined inside the Spear of Heaven, and now it had to go back.
Arthur sighed. "…Fine. I will bring you out everyday to explore the forest. But don't cause any trouble and go inside now."
The golem thumped its chest in understanding. Arthur retrieved the golem and made his way back to the city. The sky had turned a deep shade of orange by the time Arthur returned to Brightwater.
…
As soon as he reached his room, his communication device vibrated. Arthur injected mana into it, and Rhys' familiar voice came through.
"Arthur, I've got something for you."
Arthur's interest piqued. "Something good?"
There was a chuckle on the other end. "Very good. A rare, powerful attributeless spell. It took some effort to acquire, but I managed to pull a few strings."
Arthur's eyes brightened. "That's fast. I wasn't expecting you to find something so soon."
"Well, let's just say I had to make some… deals. But it's worth it. You'll see when you get here. Drop by the guild tomorrow when you are free."
Arthur replied. "Got it. I'll collect the spell tomorrow after class."
After the call ended, Arthur sat cross-legged on the floor, taking out a high-grade mana stone. He held it in his palms and began absorbing the energy into his core.
As the mana circulated through his body, he could feel his reserves expanding. The sensation was subtle but undeniable, he was getting closer to the 3rd Circle.
'Two, maybe three weeks… That's all I need.'
His control over mana had improved tremendously, but increasing his mana pool was equally important. The stronger his mana foundation, the more powerful his spells would be.
As he cultivated, Arthur reflected on his classmates' progress. Eva had already advanced to the 2nd Circle and Leon was close behind. Natalya and Finn weren't far from advancing either. And most of the class was on the verge of reaching the 1st Circle.
Arthur frowned slightly. Leon's progress was slower than Eva's, but not because of talent, it was because he lacked a proper mana cultivation technique, while Eva most probably was provided a good one by her family.
Arthur had the [Astral Flow Technique], a Mid-grade mana cultivation manual that he had acquired. He had no intention of hoarding it. If he could help his friends grow stronger, then it was worth sharing.
He made up his mind.
Tomorrow, he would give them a copy each.
…
After finishing his classes, Arthur called Finn, Leon, and Natalya aside.
Leon was the first to speak. "What's up?"
Arthur took out three neatly bound books, each one inscribed with the title: [Astral Flow Technique].
"I got something for you guys," Arthur said simply, handing each of them a book.
Finn took his copy, his brows furrowing as he flipped through the pages. The moment he recognized what it was, his eyes widened. "Arthur… This is a mana cultivation manual."
Leon froze mid-motion, gripping his copy tightly. "Wait, this is mid-grade… Where did you get this?"
Natalya's blue eyes flickered with surprise and said a bit shyly. "Arthur, this is… really valuable."
Arthur shrugged casually. "I bought it, and I figured you guys could use it. It was building dust in the corner anyway."
The three of them exchanged glances, clearly feeling a mix of gratitude and hesitation.
Finn scratched the back of his head. "I already have a technique from my family, but it's low-grade… This one is miles better."
Leon looked down at the book in his hands. "This could help me break through…"
Natalya, though calm, looked at Arthur with a searching gaze. "…Are you sure about this?"
Arthur sighed seeing their expressions, "Look, just take it. Consider it a loan if that makes you feel better. When you all get stronger, you can return the favor however you want."
Leon exhaled sharply. "Damn it, Arthur… You really don't hold back, do you?"
Finn grinned, shaking his head. "Fine. I'll take it. But when I get stronger, don't come crying to me when I surpass you."
Arthur smirked. "I'd like to see you try."
Natalya finally took her copy, holding it carefully. She gave Arthur a small nod. "Thank you."
Arthur waved them off. "Don't make a big deal out of it."
With that, he left the academy, making his way toward the Merchant Guild to meet Rhys.
***
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